Game Genie - The Pros and Cons

[Xuman]

Yo!

So recently, a cheating conversation erupted, so I wanted to know everyone's idea on using cheats, how you use them, and if they are even worth it.

Personally, In games like Smash or say, Rune Factory, cheats let me unlock a lot of things faster and I don't necessarily lose the experience of the game. But I wouldn't cheat in online mario kart that's for sure!

New question: Did you experience someone cheating online and if so, how did you feel?
What about you?

 

[Alexander Prime]

I don't like that we use the word "cheat" as a catch-all for changing memory values at runtime. "Mods" are modifications to the game, but we only use the word to mean file modifications, when the majority of "cheats" I use are actually just mods that let you explore parts of the game's behavior outside of the intended parameters.

For example, Brawl has a fun code mod that changes the ID of the object spawned by curry breath. Other ID swaps exist, but for some reason curry breath activates the items it spawns, as if they are thrown. This means you can spit streams of bouncing Koopa Shells or Sparkys, or a continuous Fire Cracker explosion. This isn't even remotely cheating, but it uses the mechanism that we've given that name. I bear absolutely no guilt in hacking around this way, especially when it's adding replay value to a game I had previously exhausted, as is often the case.

Entering a code to give yourself infinite health so you can feel smug about easily beating an online opponent is cheating, and asinine.

 

[Xuman]

I don't like that we use the word "cheat" as a catch-all for changing memory values at runtime. "Mods" are modifications to the game, but we only use the word to mean file modifications, when the majority of "cheats" I use are actually just mods that let you explore parts of the game's behavior outside of the intended parameters.

For example, Brawl has a fun code mod that changes the ID of the object spawned by curry breath. Other ID swaps exist, but for some reason curry breath activates the items it spawns, as if they are thrown. This means you can spit streams of bouncing Koopa Shells or Sparkys, or a continuous Fire Cracker explosion. This isn't even remotely cheating, but it uses the mechanism that we've given that name. I bear absolutely no guilt in hacking around this way, especially when it's adding replay value to a game I had previously exhausted, as is often the case.

Entering a code to give yourself infinite health so you can feel smug about easily beating an online opponent is cheating, and asinine.

Thats what i mean by cheating too, i literally mean doing something that can actually count as cheating. Like unlocking everything in a game. You didnt EARN it, you just cheated to get it.

But like, Using moonjumps isn't cheating. Using moonjumps to skip half the entire level to get to the goal before everyone else is.

 

[FusionGamer]

I primarily use:

- Unlock Everything
- Infinite Items for BRSAR custom FX testing.

 

[Alexander Prime]

Ah, we were already on the same page. My bad.

I'm not sure if there's anyone on the other side of this debate, but I'll go ahead and ask anyway:

Why on Earth would anyone cheat against other players? If you win, the victory is cheap and false, and if you lose you're an even bigger idiot because you had an unfair advantage.

I have some sympathy for players who cheat their way through parts of a non-competitive game which are taking too much time, or are balanced poorly, in order to see more progress made. Time is a valuable commodity and, for gamers, far more of it is asked of us by our hobby than there is to give. I'm currently playing through Borderlands 2 with a friend who wants to see some of the dialogue, and I've made my profile.bin read-only to prevent my golden key count decrementing when I use one. This allows me to get good, level-appropriate weapons any time I want, and it greases the gears in a grindy game.

It's tough to be mad at people who do this, but I also require anyone who tries to justify it to me to exercise some humility and self-control. You're playing an easier game than everyone else, and there's always a temptation to just skip to the reward for that tough side quest, or to give yourself enough money to buy a shiny thing that'll make the game super easy.

 

[NintyNin]

I like to use cheats (or mods) just for fun and to add some more replay value to the games I play. Using codes like moonjump or super hookshot to get to areas you are normally unable to or doing things in Smash Bros like making certain items behave differently than usual, disabling stage hazards if they bother you or have characters swap their moveset with each other etc.

I enjoy messing around with them offline.

 

[TotalInsanity4]

I voted local online because I have one heck of a good time playing CTGP revolution with my buds who live in another town. I also have fun doing some things to mess with how a game is played, but only offline, and I typically don't do things to unlock things faster unless they're things that you unlock by, say, playing a certain number of matches online, because I don't go online often enough to get them in any reasonable time frame, but I still like 100%ing games

 

[frogboy]

If unlock conditions are just flat-out absurd, I'll see if there's a way to unlock everything.

Other than that, I don't use "cheats."

 

[Xuman]

If unlock conditions are just flat-out absurd, I'll see if there's a way to unlock everything.

Other than that, I don't use "cheats."

"Clear All-Star on Hard with All Characters in Under 9 minutes!"

 

[Mr. Mysterio]

When it comes to online cheating (like on Mario Kart Wii), I never harassed anyone for no good reason or used cheats to win races, but I always played with cheats on. That way if someone else started harassing me, then I could pummel them with some special unreleased cheat codes that I made.

 

[Xuman]

I think most can agree but it sucks when people cheat online worldwide. Having fun at another persons expense isn't cool.

 

[Onomatopoeia]

Assuming "Online Local" means a public or private room, explicitly designed with modifications or "cheats" enabled then yes I support that. This includes having unofficial servers with names such as 2x speed, .5 gravity, infinite ammo, etc as long the players knows what to expect when joining that online server. I do not support breaking game rules to have fun at the expense of others with no effort or skill involved. If however that's what you enjoy and it's the experience you're after, be aware that is a sign of mental illness, and you should consider seeking treatment.

Modifications and cheats can bring new life into a game that's already been played and beaten legitimately. Great example being the GTA IV, where cheats and modifications opened up an entire new gaming experience.

Bringing cheats or modifications into an otherwise "clean" online match ruins the experiences and cheapens the gameplay for everyone. That's not to say modifications and cheats don't have their place, but they need to be separate from the core gameplay servers.

 

[Deathwolf1000]

The thing is that some people are not satisfied with owning offline cpus and so on. The feeling of having some extras which can be shown online makes it quite attractive. However, how you use them absolutely depends on the user itself. So I'd definitely try them out online too to see whats really possible and what not. Always hacking worldwide is not the real deal, with private rooms it is fully fine.

 

[lampdemon]

For cheats that give you an advantage, I use them them a few times online to try them out, fun stuff, but I generally don't use them.

Some cheats add a lot to the game, those I use regularly, like removing some stupid limits(Camera, replays, stage creator from SSBB for example).

 

[TeamScriptKiddies]

As someone who used to host modded lobbies on the 360 I'm perfectly fine with hosting private games where its clearly stated that cheats/hacks are enabled. It gives legitimate players notice to stay away if they don't want hacking going on, but for those who wish to use hacks and cheats just for fun, they can do that too.

However using cheats in an online game without the other players consent is just being a plain old scumbag. If you need to have an unfair advantage over other players to make you feel good about yourself, that's pretty low, get a likfe...

 

[Xuman]

Assuming "Online Local" means a public or private room, explicitly designed with modifications or "cheats" enabled then yes I support that. This includes having unofficial servers with names such as 2x speed, .5 gravity, infinite ammo, etc as long the players knows what to expect when joining that online server. I do not support breaking game rules to have fun at the expense of others with no effort or skill involved. If however that's what you enjoy and it's the experience you're after, be aware that is a sign of mental illness, and you should consider seeking treatment.

Modifications and cheats can bring new life into a game that's already been played and beaten legitimately. Great example being the GTA IV, where cheats and modifications opened up an entire new gaming experience.

Bringing cheats or modifications into an otherwise "clean" online match ruins the experiences and cheapens the gameplay for everyone. That's not to say modifications and cheats don't have their place, but they need to be separate from the core gameplay servers.

Thats exactly what i mean by online local lol i shoulda worded it better

 

[Taleweaver]

The last time I used cheats was in Doom2...I had no idea that when holding down the run button, you could 'jump' further, so I used IDCLIP to pass those parts.

Honestly: I can't remember using any other cheat other than abusing savestates (like saving just before a gamble, and then reloading when it doesn't work out my way), and even that is something I seldom do.

Note that this isn't some "I'm holier than thou"-statement: it's just that cheating makes the game incredibly hollow and boring for me.

 

[Xuman]

New question: Did you experience someone cheating online and if so, how did you feel?

 

[FAST6191]

Yes.

I wonder how they/I do that?
I bet somebody is going to throw a hissy fit over this. I wonder if I can push said person over the edge, or at least be around to laugh at the meltdown.

 

[Korin]

Honestly: I can't remember using any other cheat other than abusing savestates (like saving just before a gamble, and then reloading when it doesn't work out my way), and even that is something I seldom do.

I loved abusing the gambling in The Legend of Zelda.

Other cheats I'll use:
Unlock everything if I've done it legit before and am too lazy to do it again (Fighting games with locked rosters and Mario Kart mostly)
Walk Through Walls + Superjump (For exploring parts of the game I shouldn't be allowed into)